"An asshole! I hated him": Steve Chainel slams Fabian Cancellara for his lack of respect in the peloton

You can ride in the professional peloton together for years and still completely despise each other. Former French cyclist Steve Chainel and Swiss legend Fabian Cancellara are the perfect example of this reality. The two riders certainly never went on vacation together, and according to a recent interview, that animosity is not going to fade anytime soon.

Speaking to Winamax TV, Chainel, who rode professionally from 2007 to 2015 and is now a cycling commentator for Eurosport, did not mince his words when describing the double Olympic champion's arrogant attitude towards him and his countrymen.

Chainel was asked to share his honest thoughts on his former Swiss colleague, and he immediately unleashed a heavy critique of Cancellara's character, claiming the time-trial specialist constantly insulted French riders and never showed them any basic human decency.

"Fabian Cancellara? An asshole! I hated him, and even today, I have a hard time getting past it because frankly..." Chainel stated bluntly. "But I would still like to have a discussion with him one day because we were the 'Francese di merda' ('French piece of shit' in Italian)."

For Chainel, the frustration stemmed from a feeling that he had earned his place among the tough riders of the spring campaigns. He considered himself a true "Classicman," but Cancellara refused to acknowledge his status or treat him as a peer.

"Between Classicmen, you talk to each other. I felt like I was a Classicman, I had proven myself a bit," Chainel explained. "When you dive down the inside under braking, you yell, but afterward, it's chill. But with him, I really felt like they were making fun of me. Cancellara is really the guy I never liked in my career because he never had a nice word to say. Maybe that is why he is a champion, by the way."

While Cancellara was throwing insults, Chainel notes that he had friendly interactions with riders who were just as famous, if not more so. He named several of his former competitors who were apparently much more pleasant to deal with on the road.

"Guys like Lars Boom, Tom Boonen, always gave me a pat on the backside, saying 'Hey Steve!' At least they knew my first name, so there was respect, yes," Chainel noted.

He highlighted how Boonen would always go out of his way to make a connection. "Boonen always made the effort to speak in French, telling me: 'I saw you in cyclo-cross,'" he revealed. "Sylvain Chavanel was super cool, Juan Antonio Flecha was extraordinary, David Millar super cool."

To further prove his point about Cancellara's uniquely poor attitude, Chainel even brought up one of the most polarizing figures in sports history, noting that even he showed more respect in the peloton than the Swiss rider.

"I even rode a Tour of Flanders with Lance Armstrong, who was with RadioShack," Chainel concluded. "Even he gave me a little pat on the backside, so he 'knew' me."